ScienceDirect

Academic Liaison Librarian for Chemistry, Computer Science, Electronics and Physics, Clare Ackerley, provides some tips on how to get the most out of this resource.

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ScienceDirect is a full-text database that provides access to over 2,500 journals and over 30,000 books. In addition to Physical Sciences, Life Sciences and Health Sciences, ScienceDirect has coverage of Social Sciences and Humanities, including History, Education and Linguistics and Language.

Here are some tips on using the ScienceDirect database:

1. Register online

Registering online, allows you to save your searches, set up alerts and view your search history. Simply follow the 'Sign in' option on the top right-hand side of the screen.

Tip: If you have already registered with Scopus, you can use the same login.

2. Select Advanced Search

Using the Advanced Search option will ensure you get relevant, rich results.

There are different search forms for different resources, including journals, books and images. You could use the image search form if you are specifically looking for photos, figures or tables for example.

3. Explore mobile device article

ScienceDirect recently launched their mobile device article which makes navigating and reading the full text on a small screen much easier.

The search bar is at the top of the screen while other options such as article navigation, exporting and PDF are at the bottom.

4. Manage your references

ScienceDirect is available to University of York users via the E-resources Guide, or you can explore other useful resources for your subject on your department’s Subject Guide. ScienceDirect can be used with EndNote Online to help you collect and manage your references - more information is available on our Reference Management site.

5. Ask for help if you need it!

There is a handy Quick Reference Guide to ScienceDirect and also some great online tutorials. And if all that isn’t enough, you can follow them on Twitter or keep up to date with the ScienceDirect Blog.

For more advice about using electronic resources and for general advice about Library resources for your department contact your Academic Liaison Librarian (you can find their contact details on the Subject Guide for your department).